Re: Did you like HoL first time through?

[Doug Alan <nessus>]

> From: Jeff Richardson

> There seems to be a general concensus among Kate Bush fans that:

> 1) We didn't like "The Dreaming" the first time we heard it; in fact,
>    it took several plays before we even liked it at all.  But now, we
>    think it's (one of) the best album(s) ever made.  The delayed
>    appeal is one of the things, or a side effect of the things that
>    make it so great.

"The Dreaming" was very strange for me, in that the first time I heard
it, I simultaneously thought it was the most unlistenable irritating
noise I had ever heard and the most "interesting" thing I had ever
heard.  So I was compelled to listen to it a lot.

> 2) We thought the "Hounds Of Love" album was great the first time we
>    heard it.  Overall, it's probably not as good as "The Dreaming",
>    but "The Ninth Wave" is at least in the same class as "The
>    Dreaming", and we realized that the first time we heard it.

I didn't think the "Hounds Of Love" side was great the first time I
heard it.  I *hated* RUTH the first time I heard it and wasn't so wild
about any other song one except "Mother Stands For Comfort".  I liked
everything in "The Ninth Wave" the first time I heard it, but didn't
initially find it as "interesting" as "The Dreaming", except for "Waking
The Witch" and "Jig of Life".  I *loved* "Jig of Life" the first time I
heard it, and it's still my favorite song.  Now I think everything is
very interesting.

> Maybe she has taken the interesting, rewarding, layered complexity of
> "The Dreaming", and improved it by adding another ingredient, an
> ingredient that makes it more likeable on the first listen.

I think she made a trade off.  Now instead of it taking some time to
have her stuff sound like music, it sounds like music the first time,
but it takes more time for it to sounds "interesting".  (Though she
managed to have it sound both on the two songs I mentioned!)  I don't
think this is necesarily better or worse, but it will probably make it
sell better.  (For that reason alone, I think I prefer the approach on
"The Dreaming" because I hate to think of an artist making a decision
based on whether it will sell or not....)

			"And I don't know what's good for me"

			 Doug